LED Controller to do its color changing awesomeness while pulsating with what is coming out of an output on my amp (which is a "hot" and ground wire). Is there a way I can send this signal through to the LED's without running current through back to my amp? My LED strip ends look something like this:
B G R +
| | | |

Staff: Mentor

The signal I'll be using to make LED's pulse is coming from a pre-amp out on the back of the amp. I don't want any power from the LED controller to go back in to the preamp. circuitry

Click to expand...

The way electronics works is that what comes out of one box must return to that box. It won't come out if it can't get back. Usually the return path is through a wire called "ground" that connects all boxes, so it's a common ground. So I'd expect you'll need 4 connecting wires, R, Y, B, and ground.

If everything is working properly, no more current will return to the preamp than left it. That should not be a problem, especially when that is how it has been designed.

This device is designed to fit in a computer chassis and receive power from the computer's power supply at 5V DC. It then generates patterns to make the LEDs pulse which you can alter with the knobs on the device, there is no way to provide a signal to alter the pulsing, and you cannot power the device from an amplifier's output.

For what you want you need to search for "sound to light led controller" or similar.

Staff: Mentor

I have a computer PSU hooked up to the controller to give it power using the bridge pin trick. The cable coming out of the controller looks like what I described in the original post.

Click to expand...

I haven't looked at the manual (I'm restricted to a basic tablet here), but from what others report, I think that cable is probably output from the controller that can be used to operate more LEDs, and is not for input. It sounds like the controller makes up its own LED pattern, and is not designed to accept audio input. So it can't do what you would wish it could, alas.